NORFOLK, Va. — Mike McKenna made 37 saves as the Portland Pirates ended a two-game slide with a 2-1 victory over the Norfolk Admirals on Friday at the Norfolk Scope Arena.

McKenna made 15 saves in each of the final two periods as the Admirals stepped up the pressure to get the equalizer.

Norfolk outshot Portland 30-11 over the final 40 minutes.

The win was McKenna’s first since Nov. 8 when he made 27 saves in a 3-0 victory over Lehigh Valley, and ended his three-game losing streak.

McKenna help stabilize his team’s goaltending concerns following the loss of Louis Domingue, who was 5-2 with a 2.29 goals against average before being sidelined after being charged by an Albany player last weekend.

The Pirates (9-9) got single goals in the first and second periods.

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Jordan Martinook scored his third of the season when he tipped the puck between the pads of goalie Yann Danis following a deflection off teammate Brendan Shinnimin with 7:11 left in the first period.

Shinnimin and Justin Hodgman earned assists on the goal.

Evan Oberg made it 2-0 6:24 into the second period on a wrister that went off the blocker of Danis (19 saves) and into the net for his third goal. Francis Wathier and Phil Lane each picked up an assist.

Norfolk (6-10) scored with 31 seconds remaining in the second period. McKenna made the initial save on a shot by Marc Cantin, but the puck got through the crease and Chris Wagner was there to put just enough on it to get it over the line for his team-leading seventh goal.

Portland failed to convert two power plays, extending its scoreless streak to 32, a span of 19 periods over seven games. But they’re still .500.


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